“THIS is nothing new,” contends Kuching-based Pastor Kennison Mark John, alluding to the controversy surrounding concerted efforts to convert non-Muslim students at public universities to Islam.
The Christian Minister chose not to question the programme itself but to highlight the need for the church and Christian community to instill the right values in the young.
“Recently, a student shared with me a poster from a university that offers a programme for new students (converts), complete with various facilities and assistance throughout the study period,” the IT consultant postulated in a Facebook post.
“Actually, this kind of thing is nothing new. It has been happening for a long time and will probably continue to happen.”.
The part-time gospel musician was keen to divert attention away from the poster and the programme as it is the constitutional right of Muslims to spread the word.
“They’re doing what they believe in. But the question is, have we as Christian families, Christians and the church fulfilled our responsibilities well?” he posed a stinging question.
Weak faith foundation
Many Christian children from Sarawak and Sabah are sent to study far away from their families.
Some are living away from their parents and church for the first time. In this situation, they’ll be faced with various influences, challenges, questions and offers coming from various directions.
The pastor went on to pinpoint the problem of these undergraduates as being academically sound but have a weak foundation in their faith. The advice was for these students to actively participate in church activities to build deeper understanding of their religion.
“Find a healthy church, join a Christian fellowship, build a prayer life and get to know the teachings of the Bible more deeply,” he advised.
Pastor Kennison was also at pains to point out to families to not be overly focused on academic performances. “To Christian families, don’t just ask about your children’s exam results and finances. Ask about their spiritual life as well,” he countered.
The advice also covered the institution of the church, insisting that it be more serious about discipleship, apologetics and teaching sound doctrine.
“Don’t just send kids off to university with a prayer of release. Make sure they’re truly equipped to face the world out there,” the erstwhile marriage counsellor opined.
“If other parties are very serious about guiding their generation, then we also need to be more serious about guiding our generation. University should be a place where Christian children’s faith matures, not a place where they lose their faith.”
Instead of getting all worked up, the pastor is right in calling for greater efforts to inculcate in non-Muslim youth stronger spiritual values that will allow them a deeper understanding of their faith.
It is easy to point fingers and cry foul over what is perceived to be unfair rules on conversion.
But the reality is that non-Muslim families (and their respective religious organisations) need to do their part and ensure the right doctrine is embedded from young. Only then can they be confident and assured that their young will not be led away from their faith.
More time should be spent coaching youngsters in Sunday schools, religious seminars and camps.
More effort and definitely more volunteers will be needed for this drive. But as the pastor pointed out, if others are willing to put in the work to spread their faith, then it is only prudent that the church and Christian families respond accordingly. – June 25, 2026
Main image credit: Ambai Kumang/Facebook
